Exhaust Gas Temp Light is on... any help?

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Holshot
Posts: 268
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:53 pm
Your car is a: 1982 TURBO Spider 1979 Spider
Location: Baltimore, MD

Exhaust Gas Temp Light is on... any help?

Post by Holshot »

Well about a month ago my car started running a little rough just when it was cold only and only for about a minute or less. Just about long enough to make it to the end of my block then it would clear up and be fine. The idle was fine but as soon as I would take off out of the garage the car sputtered a little bit but then literally by the time I got to the end of the block she was purring like a kitten.

I immediately assumed that it was most likely the o2 sensor simply because as soon as the car warmed up it was fine and I know that the o2 sensor works in closed and open loop. I always get the 2 cycles confused on which one its in on start up until the car warms up... Anyways after almost getting one from International like I usually buy all my parts I swung by the local Pep Boys and thought I would give it a shot and low and behold they had it in stock and was only 18 bucks vs. the 50 or so bucks International wanted.

Now here's the twist to the story, I finally got around to installing it this evening and started her up and she runs great now from the start. Great, amazingly something finally went smoothly and was done start to finish in literally ten minutes. But... don't you just hate buts? Here's where the dilemma is, at some point the dash light came on in the last month and its still on even after installing the new sensor and the car is back to running great. Now at some point in this past month I made a custom test pipe and eliminated the stock cat but only notice the light on recently when I took her out for a little spirited driving at night and the light was easier to see lit up in the dark of the night.

Now can anyone tell me whether or not the Spider needs to have its ECU reset like in modern cars to clear the ECU. I know that in my other cars when I've had check engine lights come on that I would have to unplug the battery for a minute or so to clear it. I'm not really familiar with whether or not these cars even have ECUs to speak of. Now the only other thing I can think of is that it may have come on because of the newly installed test pipe and now with the free flowing exhaust may have triggered something? I just assumed that the light was for the sensor to let you know that it was bad but now that it's been replaced and running great I have my doubts that it may in fact be the test pipe. If in fact its the test pipe does anyone know if some makes a o2 fouler/simulator to eliminate the light which I can't even see but drives me crazy now that I know it's on.

Can anyone shed some light on my current situation... if so any suggestions are welcome and appreciated!

Kind Regards,
Giuseppe
Giuseppe

1979 Fiat Spider
1982 Fiat Spider TURBO
1984 Pinninfarina Spider (gone but not forgotten)
So Cal Mark

Re: Exhaust Gas Temp Light is on... any help?

Post by So Cal Mark »

there is a mechanical counter box inline with the speedo cable. It's under the dash on the left side of the console. Remove the screw plug on the box and use a thin screwdriver to push in and reset the button
btw-the FI system is in open loop until the O2 sensor heats up and begins switching above and below the .450V threshold
mbouse

Re: Exhaust Gas Temp Light is on... any help?

Post by mbouse »

or, just jam a screw driver into the bulb, effectively snuffing out the light. :mrgreen:

JUST KIDDING cheeze..
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